The present invention relates to a sign assembly, and, in particular, to a sign assembly including a sign portion that may be quickly installed in the assembly and, once installed, remains securely in place until its removal is desired.
Typically such sign assemblies include a frame structure often made of metal or plastic or the like, where a sign portion is held in place by the frame structure. Very often such frame structures do not offer the ease in changing the sign portion and at the same time provide a sign portion that is securely held in place once it is positioned in the sign assembly. Very often such sign assemblies are outside and exposed to the elements, or may be inside and exposed to people or other forces bumping the assembly, for example.
Various sign assemblies have been disclosed in the past, such as, U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,715, dated Jul. 1, 1930, issued to Hermann Hopp, et al., which discloses a display device for displaying price ticket holders. The ticket holders are removable. In one embodiment, the Hopp patent discloses a main body portion of elongated shape. Inwardly disposed end flanges integral with the ends of the main body portion are included. A channel member is carried by the main body portion and extends transversely in spaced relationship with the flanges. The oppositely disposed flanges formed integral with the channel member and are adapted to cooperate with their respective end flanges to retain a ticket in display position in the main portion. Tongues are carried by the channel members and are adapted for bending around the respective side edge of the body portion to retain the price tickets in position.
Other sign assemblies are known in the art such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,627,683, dated Feb. 10, 1953, issued to Russell J. Leander, which discloses a foldable display made of sheet material, preferably paper or cardboard treated to make it waterproof or it may be of other sheet material. The Leander patent discloses that the invention is particularly adapted to being applied to the top of an oil pump casing but may have other applications to other casings which are generally rounded on top or at the upper edges. A display made of sheet material which is cut, scored and foldable to conform to a curved support. Means for attaching the ends of the sheet together and thus turning both of the ends of the oval scored base downwardly to conform to oppositely curved surfaces at relatively opposite sides of the top of the supporting structure are included. In one embodiment a resilient means extends through the display and against the scored portion in its outwardly turned position and fastening clips secured to the ends of the resilient means comprising hooks adapted to engage the sides of the support with the rounded top to which the display is attached.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,529, dated Oct. 1, 1974, issued to Areas O. Aybar, is disclosed a nameplate for a directory comprising a strip and blank in which the strip is comprised of a thin, flexible, resilient deformed material having rounded ends forming lobes. The blank being a plastic engraveable blank secured to the strip. Nameplates are provided which are flexible to be bent in a slight curvature and are resilient to return to that shape when flattened. The nameplate is deformed and/or positioned to cause only the strip of the nameplate to fit into and engage folded-over edge portions of a holder.
Another such sign assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,866, dated Nov. 28, 1989, issued to Roland Gebhardt, which discloses a signage system support structure formed from a pair of identical extruded multi-groove channel members. A connecting element is included in the form of an elongated rigid panel inserted into an unconstricted medial groove of each channel which serves to join two channels. Each channel is additionally formed with a constructed medial groove, and pair of outwardly facing grooves and a pair of lateral grooves on each side of and parallel to the medial grooves. In use, the upper and/or lower edges of the sign to be supported are engaged in one or more of the channel grooves with a flat sign having either opposed edges encased in the lateral grooves or a free edge in a constricted medial groove, an arcuate sign having its edges engaged in the outwardly facing grooves. The signs where supported displays may be formed with engaging tabs displaceable from the plane of the sign to engage a groove.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,352 dated Dec. 5, 1989, issued to Robert S. Lipscomb, is disclosed a changeable sign assembly comprising a base with at least two retaining members attached to the base which has walls defining opposing longitudinal grooves. A number of display members having curved opposite edge portions which are formed of a thin resilient material. The edge portions are flexibly deformed by the longitudinal grooves to the retaining members so that the display members are removably retained by the retaining members.
Problems may arise with the prior art sign assemblies in that, outside forces, such as wind, for example, may cause the sign portion of the assembly to become inadvertently dislodged. Thus, there exists a need for a sign assembly that includes a sign portion that may be quickly and easily changed but will not be disturbed by outside forces, such as, wind.
The present invention provides a sign assembly useful in point of purchase advertising, such as, used in fuel stations, food stores, and the like. The sign assembly of the present invention, in one embodiment, includes a support member which may, for example, be the top or side of a gasoline pump, display stand, wall, or ceiling. Elongated oppositely disposed parallel flange members are included and are attached to the support member. The elongated flange members each include an elongated trough portion on one side thereof. The trough portion has a U-shaped cross section. Transverse pin members are mounted at predetermined intervals between opposite walls within the U-shaped trough portion.
A resilient laterally compressible sign member is provided which includes a sign portion, where a printed message for advertising and the like may be displayed. The sign portion has oppositely disposed parallel lip portions. The parallel lip portions are sized to engage the U-shaped trough portions of the flange members. The lip portions are provided with oppositely disposed pin member receiving openings. Each of the pin member receiving openings of the lip portions have a pin member docking portion, which is engageable with the transverse pin members, and the pin member locking portion substantially perpendicular to the pin member docking portion. The pin member receiving openings of the lip members and the transverse pin members are in operative alignment.
Utilizing this first embodiment of the present invention, the sign assembly may be quickly assembled by laterally compressing the sign member and aligning the pin members with the corresponding docking portion of the pin member receiving openings of the lip portions of the sign member. The sign member is then released after the pin members and docking portions of the pin member receiving openings are in alignment. The inherent resiliency of the sign member causes the docking portion of the receiving opening to receive the pin member so that the pin member enters the docking portion of the receiving opening. The sign member is then slid to engage the locking portion of the pin member receiving openings, thereby securing the sign member to the flange members.
The elongated flange members of the sign assembly may be affixed to the support member such that the U-shaped trough portions of the flange members face one another i.e., open towards one another, or, the elongated flange members may be affixed to the support member such that the U-shaped trough portions of the flange members face away from one another, i.e., open away from one another. Thus, the resilient sign member may have parallel lip portions that either extend outwardly or inwardly from the sign portion.
Preferably the pin members are mounted within the U-shaped trough portion of the flange member substantially perpendicular to the support member in this embodiment.
The sign portion of the resilient sign member, between the lip portions, may have a V-shaped cross-section, a curved cross-section, a flat or planar cross-section, for example.
Preferably, each of the flange members of this embodiment include an elongated integral mounting portion. The integral mounting portion is on the opposite side of each of the flange members from the U-shaped trough portion. Desirably, the integral mounting portion has first mounting apertures therein in predetermined position. The support member has second mounting apertures mounted therein also in predetermined position. The support member may be threaded proximate the second apertures. First mounting bolts are included that are in pass through relationship with the first mounting aperture of the integral mounting portion and in threadable engagement with the second aperture of the support member.
In a second embodiment of the present invention the sign assembly comprises a support member which may be structured as mentioned previously with the first embodiment, or may be a pole or the like. In this embodiment an elongated flange member includes a base portion attached to the support member and an elongated trough portion having a U-shaped cross-section. The trough portion is substantially perpendicular to the base portion. Transverse pin members are mounted in predetermined intervals between opposite walls within the U-shaped trough portion.
A sign member is provided which includes a sign portion having a lip portion on at least one side thereof. The lip portion is sized to engage the U-shaped trough portion of the flange member. The lip portion has a plurality of pin member receiving openings. Each of the pin member receiving openings of the lip portion have a pin member docking portion engageable with transverse pin members and a pin member locking portion position substantially perpendicular to the pin member docking portion. The pin member receiving openings of the lip member and the transverse pin members are in operative alignment.
By using this second embodiment the sign assembly may be quickly assembled by aligning the pin members of the flange member with the docking portion of the pin member receiving openings of the lip portion of the sign member and pushing on the sign member until the pin member enters the locking portion of the pin member receiving openings. Then the sign member is slid in the direction of the locking portion of the pin member receiving openings to cause the pin members to engage the locking portion of the pin member receiving openings, thereby securing the pin member to the sign member. The support member of this embodiment may be vertical or horizontal.
Preferably, the base member of this second embodiment has third mounting apertures passing therethrough in predetermined position. The support member is provided with fourth mounting apertures therethrough in predetermined position. The support member is threaded proximate the fourth apertures. Second mounting bolts are included. The second mounting bolts are in pass through relationship with the third apertures of the base member in threadable engagement with the fourth apertures of the support member.
Preferably, the sign assembly of this embodiment further includes a sign secondary securing assembly. The sign secondary securing assembly, preferably includes a secondary securing bolt. The U-shaped trough portion has fifth mounting apertures passing therethrough. A wing nut member is provided engageable with a secondary securing bolt, whereby when the secondary bolt passes through fifth apertures of the U-shaped trough and engages the wing nut member, the sign portion is ensured to remain in a fixed position on a support member despite any external forces.